Why Travel Makes You Awesome

March 18, 2013 / By NomadicMatt

People always ask how travel has changed me. If I look back at who I was before I began traveling and compare that to who I am now, I would have to say that travel has made me a better and more well-rounded person. I’m way cooler now than I was at 25 when I first left to explore the world.

Simply put, I’m a lot more awesome now than I used to be.

In fact, I think travel makes everybody a more awesome person. We end our travels way better off than when we started. I’m not saying this to be conceited or egotistical; I’m saying it because I believe that travel is something that makes you not only a better human being but a way cooler one too. The kind of person people gravitate toward and want to be around.

More social – It’s sink or swim on the road. You either get better at making friends or you end up alone, crying each night into a pillow. You learn to make friends out of strangers and get more comfortable talking to new people. When I first started traveling, I was kind of an introvert and uncomfortable talking to those I didn’t know. Now, I’ll happily talk to strangers like we’ve been best friends for years.

Better at conversation – Travel not only makes you comfortable talking to strangers, it makes you better at it too. After talking to people all the time, the same questions get boring. You start to even bore yourself. After a while, you don’t care about where people are from, where they are going, how long they’ve been traveling, and yada yada yada. Those kinds of questions don’t actually tell you anything about the person. You’ll get better at small talk and how to ask interesting questions — the ones that matter and tell you more about the person.

More confident – You’ve traveled the world. Hiked Mt. Everest. Dived the Great Barrier Reef. Wined and dined that beautiful French girl in Paris, navigated unknown cities, and conquered your fear of heights. In short, you did awesome things. How can you not be more confident? How can you not be sure about your abilities? After accomplishing so much, you’re going to feel a lot more confident in your ability to achieve anything you set your mind to.

More adaptable – You’ve dealt with missed flights, slow buses, wrong turns, delays, bad street food, and much, much more. After a while, you learn how to adapt your plans to changing situations. You don’t get mad, you don’t get angry; you just alter what you are doing and move on. Life throws you curve balls and you hit them out of the park. Why? Because you’re awesome like that.

More adventurous – When you become confident in your ability to do anything, you do anything. Last week in Austin, Texas, despite not liking spicy food, I ate the world’s hottest pepper and some pure capsicum extract. Why? Because I wanted to. What’s the purpose of life if not to break out of your comfort zone? My mouth was on fire for ages, but I’d do it again.

More easy-going – All those mistakes? They did something else for you, too. They made you more easy-going and relaxed. Why? Because you’ve dealt with all those errors and you don’t care. You go with the flow now, because if travel taught you anything, it’s that it all works out in the end and that there’s no need to stress.

Smarter – Unless you sit at a resort drowning your brain in frozen drinks, travel will teach you about the world. You’ll learn about people, history, and culture, and arcane facts about places some people could only dream about. In short, you’ll have a better understanding about how it works and how people behave. That’s something that can’t be learned from books; you can only pick it up with on-the-road experience.

Less materialistic – On the road, you learn just how little stuff you actually need. You’ll realize that all that crap they sell at the mall is pretty useless in leading a truly happy life. Coming home, you’ll find yourself a minimalist simply because you realize what you need to live and what you don’t. As they say, the more you own, the more it owns you.

Happier – Travel simply teaches you how to be happy. You’ll become more relaxed, more confident, and see the world as a brighter place. How can you not be happy about life after all of that?

Think about all the famous, successful people in the world. How many of these qualities do those people exhibit? A lot. Why? Because being outgoing, funny, social, happy, confident, and smart are all qualities that make people more successful in everyday life.

Travel makes people better people. When you learn more about the world and the people in it, push your boundaries, and try new things, you become a more open, outgoing, and awesome person. All the people I’ve known who have traveled are better people because of it.

With all the ways a trip can make you more of an awesome person, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be planning your next adventure now — whether it’s around the world or just a short, two-week vacation to Mexico.

You can sit at home, wishing you were somewhere exotic, having fun, and doing something cool.

Or you can listen to Kid President, stop being boring, and do something awesome:

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Agreed! I’m sort of a high-stress, quick to worry, and always prepared person and the more I travel the more adaptable I become and all that other stuff just starts to melt away. There’s something really freeing about traveling, being increadibly happy, and not letting the little things get you down.

I can attest the truth of these points… because I’ve also traveled far and wide in the last few years. Among my own realizations:

* Being social on the road pays off, even if I still don’t have it as easy as you do (being introduced by friends helps a LOT, though)
* Overcoming the fear of the unknown and rather embrace and conquer it.
* Get to know the world as it really is, not as others tell you it is like.
* Realize you actually need few possessions to get by in life. I now think twice about buying something that can’t go with me on the road. In fact I’d rather be having a garage sale.
* I think I haven’t been through enough travel mishaps, though. (knock on wood!). But on the few times I’ve had one like a date change or a connection delay, I had to put up and find out how to solve it. That not only creates character but also helps build confidence.
* Get to know your own true self.
* And perhaps best of all: Have enough stories to tell and pictures to show. 🙂

So true, all of these. I think travel has really helped me be more confident about approaching other people and taking chances that I may not have otherwise taken. It’s definitely helped me embrace who I am and what I’m passionate about!

That is, for lack of a better word, awesome. Travel really does benefit a personality in many ways – organisational skills, planning skills, and also a lot of interpersonal skills. Travel is good for you 😉

I couldn’t agree with this post any more, I got back to the UK two weeks ago from 2+ years away in Asia & Australia. I had the time of my life & already planning my next few years away. Everyone is commenting on how different I look, all I’ve done is coloured my hair…
Just yesterday i was saying to my travel partner, that who seriously needs the 10 pairs of jeans & piles & piles of tops that I have come home to. Charity shop here I come…

This is an excellent post! It inspires me to be a better person, travel more NOW, and be more awesome! I truly cannot wait to leave my job and go live abroad while teaching in Spain. At this point Im not sure where I’m headed in life and that’s ok with me as I know I will end up somewhere better than a dull cubicle with a good salary. Thank you!

What a great post Matt. I’m “bookmarking it” and keeping it as a reminder. We took a 5-month trip to India with my family, and my kids now 7 and 10 are already asking where are we going next… it’s a beautiful experience that no book can bring. Thank you for the reminder, and for the motivation to keep saving for another trip, and to be “more awesome” some day soon.

I agree in a lot of ways – travel has made me more fearless and helped me realize what’s important in life. At the same time, I tend to lose it when I’m back in a fixed place (like I am now in Melbourne) and in a Western country. I wonder if the perspective change is something that everyone can hold onto – namely, me!

The most important thing that travel has taught me is how to enjoy the moment. It’s something that I often lose sight of in the humdrum of daily life. Travel distils what is important in life.
On a more political note it helps you see through the crap the media drills into us about refuges and see that people everywhere are just ‘people’ who want their kids to grow up happy and healthy and live a safe and productive life. Yep there’s an election coming up in Australia this year!

I like that quote “the more you own the more it owns you.” I think backpacking highlights this more. I hate carrying stuff, or buying anything they will make me check in my bag.
I was reading somewhere about the idea that you will be happier with the thing that lasts longer. But, research shows that the same never applies to traveling because the memory of a visit somewhere lasts way longer than any material thing. I guess the question is, how much would you value the memory?

Agree with all of these, especially with the sociable and better conversationalists part. I was a really shy person before I started traveling, when I had no choice but to talk to complete strangers about stuff much more involving than the weather or where I was from. I also believe that traveling makes us much more aware of our surroundings- we become considerate of the people around us (even if they are complete strangers).
Love this post!

I haven’t traveled as much as others have but so far, I have noticed I became less materialistic and more practical. I used to buy something that looks more stylish than practical, now its the other way around I prefer the ones that are much practical.

I just gave my notice at my job, leaving at the end of next month after 10 years of working in low paid hospitality jobs and very little travelling. I plan to build a website with a blog and just start travelling. I have a small budget so I have no idea how long I can keep going for or how it’s going to go but figure I can wing it.

Just want to say its blogs like yours showing me it’s possible that stop me from talking myself out of it and for that I thank you.

I totally agree ! I love pushing past my comfort zone. I’m currently traveling with my two kids (the youngest, 5, has a broken leg). As much as there are moments during the day when I wonder what I was thinking, for the most part, it beats the heck out of staying home. We’re all happier when we are going somewhere and seeing/learning something new.

So true. I grew up in a small town in TX where people just don’t leave. The first time I left the country you’d of thought someone died. Several years later when I went to Russia alone it was the same thing; hand wringing. Traveling changes you. It changes the world you see and live in. It most definitely makes you more awesome.

I’ve always believe that travelling will make me more confident, being better at conversations and the highlighted points you mentioned.

Have always been this person who doesn’t dare to take risk. Have been doing small travelling quarterly as much as I can ever since I’ve started working about 3 years ago. I want to keep reading your blog in hoping I can take the risk I’ve always wanted to make.

Even planning your next trip opens your mind and makes you both freer and happier. After a difficult year dealing with the death of my spouse I decided to book a trip for 2 months to Europe. I used to wake up in the morning thinking of him. Now I wake up dreaming of my future travel. I won’t share traditional pictures because I won’t take a camera. One thing I learned no my first European trip was, my sketchs and watercolors spoke more than any my photos, they meant more. You learn what is important and what is not fast. It puts life and people in perspective. People get along, governments fight.

I agree completely! When my mom died, I didn’t think that there was any good left in the world. It took me a few months to start planning a trip, but when I did, just imagining all of the possibilities made me realize how awesome the world still is. Having suffered has made me more compassionate towards other cultures, and my life feels more awesome than ever!

Great shout with Kid President – he is such a dude! But you also put it well yourself, don’t think anyone (though try they might) could argue that travelling is anything but awesome with all the points you put forward. Unless, you don’t want to be smarter, happier, sexier etc.

I think there is one thing that you had not mentioned that really drives it home for me. Travel makes you humble (though ppl may accidentally come off as arrogant / excited to share everything at the same time).

It teaches you that the world is bigger than you are, that people’s problems are the same no matter where you go (or even worse in some). Travel teaches you to appreciate the little things you have and the things you never realized you did.

Like you mentioned, travel opens up your eyes and your world, but for me, more than anything else, travel opens up your heart.

You know, I find that when I travel (especially alone), I’m at peace. I never worried about the daily stress, for my mind is too occupied with soaking in new images, information, and culture. I can’t wait to feel awesome (and share my awesome self) with the world when I travel this summer! 🙂 There, I used awesome twice..

I’ve been nomadic for the last two years and recently my parents flew out to visit me in Australia. They commented on how much more at ease I was with everyday tasks, nothing seems to phase me anymore. I no longer worry about mundane issues that used to stress me out. I’m more confident in the company of those I don’t know and feel I can hold my own in situations that stretch my comfort zone. All thanks to my experience of travel.

EXACTLY. Grabbing a flight to a country where you don’t speak the language and don’t know the exchange rate…then landing and realizing you have no idea how to get to your hostel (what was it called again?). No problem.

This is all so true!! I have always thought the same thing about travel. It makes me sad when people fail to see the benefits of traveling and I am so glad my parents started me young, giving me the travel bug from very early on 🙂

That’s all so true, but the only problem is you don’t know about all of these benefits, until you start your traveling. And when i went abroad for the first time and thought: “Why did i spent almost all my life in one city?”

It’s sad that so many people wait so long to find out how incredibly awesome it makes you feel to travel the word and experience so many things about themselves they never thought they could do. Travel does indeed make me happier. Thanks for the great post!

I love this post, but the end bit made me a bit sad: “You can sit at home, wishing you were somewhere exotic, having fun, and doing something cool. Or you can listen to Kid President, stop being boring, and do something awesome”

As someone is not a full-time traveller, I have to wait for my trips and right now am waiting (only for a week but nevertheless…). I want to go away again!!

Before I went travelling I worried way too much, planned everything and was never really relaxed. Now I just bought a bicycle and spontaniously decided to ride to China from Bangkok, without having any idea how to get there- or how to fix a broken bike.

I’m so much happier now, and I’m sure it’s because I’ve been travelling for quite a long time now. I love speaking to strangers and make super cool friends all the time. Leaving home a year ago was probably the best decision I’ve ever made.

As a traveler you see new things, eat new foods, meet new people, participate in new activities and are constantly doing all these awesome new things. Whilst you are doing all these awesome new things it’s with awesome new people. And with these awesome new people you meet you share your awesome new stories and get awesome new ideas to go on more awesome new adventures and with that how could you not be awesome when you are surrounded and involved in so much awesomeness, its AWESOME!

So, I agree with all of these benefits of travel, but I’m not sure all of them are sustainable after re-entry. Maybe that’s just me, but I’m now *worse* at conversation when it doesn’t involve travel!!

I’ve found I have more trust & curiosity of strangers / new people. I have become a CouchSurfer & hostel user in recent years, & people at home are shocked. They have complete fear of things I’ve done, & continue to do, that have brought me some of my most amazing experiences – simply because I trusted others.

Also, I’ve encountered unbelievable generosity & kindness from strangers. People at home cannot fathom why people would be so kind to a stranger. It saddens me a bit.

This is the fact that a lot of people are around the world who devoted their live to travelling and the guys who are only dedicated to travelling are happier than all other. Secondly I am a bit surprised how much times this blog post is shared on social media platforms. Hats off to your blogging style and the way you write.

I’ve been traveling the world nonstop for almost 2 years now, in part thanks to you Matt & posts like this! While I believe travel is good for everyone, it’s especially helpful to introverts & has helped me to be more adaptable & confident. Thank you for inspiring me to take a career break that changed my whole life!

I used to be quite unconfident in social situations and high stress, since I have been travelling more can tell that I feel more confident all the time and (most of the time) will be more easygoing and react to situations better.

I love this post! couldn’t agree more. when I travel I feel like I’m smiling more than ever. when I see an amazing landscape I feel like I can breath so deeply and feel so free. when I push myself to do physical activities like climbing mountains or walking until my hole body hurts , it reminds me that everything is possible.(=

True story 🙂 Traveling and getting out of my comfort zone taught me so much. The best benefits for me were that I improved my communication skills, that I realized the world was much bigger and varied than I thought and that I want to travel more and more.

Hey Matt,
I really appreciate the article that you have written. I travel a lot and maybe I am not that much social with people. I travel and speak less , however your points about happy and less materialistic is true.
You pulled out a hilarious one by quoting “unless you are George Clooney”..:D

Great writing and information for the people who are looking forward to a motivation to start travelling..It’s a different world and a real world I must say

I do agree with the fact that travel really broadens your horizons. The decision to travel full time can get quite challenging if you have other hobbies/commitments as well. Not to mention the most important, Moneehh! 🙂 The next best thing is to travel part time which could be the best of both worlds!

Totally agree. For me the best was education and appreciation. You learn so much more when on the road about geography, language, culture etc and also you really appreciate that the rubbish down in the mall doesn’t matter and you are so privileged to be doing it when you look at the millions who are struggling to make ends meet.

I was in need of some inspiration, so I came back to this post. Thank you, Matt. I had a series of unfortunate personal events that led to a delay in my travel plans – my true passion and desire. I guess I just wanted to say thank you for re-inspiring me!

Hi Matt (and everyone), am gaining inspiration through all these comments. I’m single in my mid 50s and will be returning to the UK after over 35 years in Oz, in June this year. I have booked 1 way as I want to travel all over the British Isles and Europe. To say I’m getting scared as the day nears closer is an understatement, and for ever dealing with the naysayers – be careful, single women shouldn’t travel, you dont have enough money etc…. Yes I’m still a bit in awe of what I’m about to undertake but – my tomorrow is just around the corner and I dont want to die wondering – so here I go….

Thanks for a great article! I’ve taken a few trips that impacted my life in many ways–giving me experiences I never would have expected (like being tall for the first time in my life!). No matter where I go, though, I always learn something, not only about the places I visit, but also about myself.

Thank you very much for this excellent post!
I fully agree: traveling makes most people more awesome.
I have been brought up abroad and only returned to my mother country, Germany, when I was 17.
At the age of 53 I still travel – and feel better and a lot more relaxed when doing so. Especially when I traveled to Portugal!

This makes me think back to laying on the sand at sunset in Dominical, Costa Rica after surfing and feeling complete. It reminds me of the time in New Zealand where I took a local overnight bus to get down to Christchurch. I had the flu and held my lemon and honey concoction tight while slapping the bus driver to stay awake. And the time I solely witnessed the best proposal at the highest waterfall in Croatia. Now, I am planning on my next journey for this year. I find myself hesitant and worried as if I never been anywhere. I need to do it though! Thanks for the read.

So true ! I noticed so many changes that came from travelling! I am now doing my end of study thesis on the effects of long-term travel, it’s such an interesting subject (so thanks for writing about this, I’ll probably use bits of that post for my argumentation if you don’t mind 🙂 )

I’m merely 22 and I truly want to be really successful. I want to make tons of money and be acknowledge by people. However, I keep travelling the so called ‘running away’. I don’t want to compromise. I want both – to be successful with lots of money, and to travel and meet people and live free to explore whatever I want.

I will not compromise. If you own a business and can work through Internet i can do both. I believe travelling will somehow help me succeed to. Who knows, I might just not gonna be able to succeed at both, but that’s who I am and who I will always be.

I’m now a 62-year old grandma and retired, still traveling whenever I get the chance (with and without my husband of almost 35 years), and so do my daughters. In 1978, I was a brand new Army lieutenant assigned to the Netherlands, and my adventures began; I was not near any large military bases and I was a single young woman in a very married community. I had a good education, but was more than a little naive; I was a nice Catholic girl from a medium sized midwestern city. I am a natural introvert, but I love art (in retirement I’m a painter!), so the land of Vermeer, Hals, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh was a dream! Loved going to all the galleries and museums. I ended up traveling all over the continent, and later all over North America. I have painted in Provence and Santa Fe. People are amazed, but I love it. Comfort is more important to me now (and we sometimes use hotel points from my husband’s business travel), but I’m still always on the lookout for good deals and how to save a buck or a euro. We usually travel independently or in small groups. Have learned so much during my travels. In my 20s, I learned one night in Amsterdam that I could take care of myself when some toughs followed and harassed me (ducked into the nearest bar, and when they came in, I pointed them out to a police officer). I gained street smarts. My car’s battery went out in a remote village in Germany, and the mechanic and I went back and forth, laughing, using a phrasebook and using our “Deutschlish.” I discussed the presidential primary system with an innkeeper in Arles. Loved bargaining in a Turkish bazaar near Ephesus. In Rome I had a mystical experience in an ancient church. I safely strolled the Champs Elysees in Paris at 1AM with throngs of people, and have stayed in hostels, castles, and farms. My husband and I fell in love in Europe and married in a German castle. Can’t wait to see Asia and also walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain and see my grandmother’s ancestral village in Poland. Gotta stay healthy so I can show my grandsons more of the world!

Hi there, great post. Its truly a matter of exposure. The more you travel, the more you find yourself being influenced by how the rest of the world operates
You just never know what you can learn if you just open your minds is unbelievable!
Thanks much!

I agree, after traveling I realized that my eyes had been opened to new opinions and ways of life. I had always considered myself a rather open and knowledgable person to cultures and people but I had no idea how truly different the world is from the pages of a book or the pictures on the internet. Traveling really changed who I am and how I viewed the world. When I converse with people who haven’t seen much of the world it’s blatantly obvious. It just seems to me that when you travel you begin to understand the struggles and hardships some people go through everyday. Coming from America, it was a shock when I traveled to Egypt. But it certainly makes you appreciate all the little things you take for granted.

This is totally true! I 100% agree with everything! Especially the ‘Sexier’ bit, cos that’s not only slightly amusing it’s completely accurate. Also the confidence issue you raised: the more someone is forced to get out of their comfort zone the more your comfort zone actually grows! It’s amazing.

Thanks for this, Matt, you’re awesome. All of us here at luxvacation.com look up to you! (I know we deal in slightly different styles, but it’s all one world right? + we are strong believers that the term ‘luxury’ should reflect perfect; i.e. something should be as perfect as you want it to be.)

This is so true. I gained a lot of confidence after climbing my first mountain three years ago, and I’ve been on quite a few hiking trips since then. Travel has helped me learn more about the world, life and myself than four years at University.

It’s sooooo true!!!!! Thank you for this post! I travel a lot too, and I’m also a tourist guide in my town, Venice…..I “travel” every day in my city!!!! 😉 If you see and watch the world you can really get a 360° mind…..

Thank you for this awesome post! Travelling changes people so much, and they don’t even know it! How can you settle down into “normal society” after being exposed to so much amazingness??!! Haha! It still surprises me every time I think of settling down, kids, house etc… I get this small anxious feeling inside me telling me I haven’t seen it all yet! We have just started a travel blog 2 weeks ago!!! We are looking forward for our departure on our 36 day long trip to Italy and Greece, but are worried we will never come back!

We love this story so much and come back to it time after time. Having been on the road for nearly 2 months now, we starting to notice the changes in ourselves. We are less inhibited than before leaving and way more appreciative of what we have. The next 8 months will hopefully shape us more, considering we have Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and southern Africa immerse ourselves in!

Great post. Traveling solo is always rewarding and advantageous. I believe being alone on the road gives you an opportunity to observe your thoughts, feelings, decisions and outcomes by spending time with yourself. You will discover a secret to your world, and your subconscious beliefs.

Awesome travel tips!! I hope to start traveling soon abroad, but as an American I wonder if there are some places more hostile towards Americans than others, whenever I talk to friends about this (who don’t travel though) love to tell me how much everyone hates Americans..just curious what your thoughts were on this? Any words of wisdom appreciated!!!

Why travel makes you Awesome.. Enjoy being your self If you are alone, you content with other peoples. You feel good about it siting in a restaurant enjoying a coffee with lots of strangers around you. You Learn different things you adapt environment you meet different people try to know them learn their culture and for me I love to know about the history about the places Reading from textbooks the rich history of countries is one thing but experiencing it in person is entirely something else…

Thanks Matt, this came at the right time. Been nomading for around 2 years, sitting right now in a cafe in Da Nang, Vietnam, wondering why I’ve recently become quite disinterested and muddled about what I’m doing. Your post has made me sit up straighter and start feeling a tad more awesome about things.

This article is really great !!!! I totally agree with what you say.
Traveling makes us a better person. When we travel , we change because we need to adapt to a culture that is not ours, to people that are not like us, to a new way of life !
And this is awesome to leave that kind of things.
I am French, I lived in United Stated and now in Mexico.
The only inconvenient is that you are really sad when you have to leave and get back to the old routine.

This article is really great !!!! I totally agree with what you say.
Traveling makes us a better person. When we travel , we change because we need to adapt to a culture that is not ours, to people that are not like us, to a new way of life !
And this is awesome to leave that kind of things.
I am French, I lived in United Stated and now in Mexico.
The only inconvenient is that you are really sad when you have to leave and get back to the old routine.

Like the others I must agree with the post. Travelling is awesome, and if you have opened this door, you can’t go back to a “normal” casual life, you can’t close this door. Makes you richer and you see in a different way the people too.

Awesome matt. And thanks for inspiring me to travel the world. My parents dont support me to travel as i am a college student and they think i am too small to travel alone. But just becoz of your blogs i have planned a trip to goa.thanks and keep posting.

i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one, thanks for sharing this article. This article will be very useful and helpful. Read and understand the article and you will get a brilliant idea. I will share this information with my friends and they will certainly love to read this. Very informative, I’ll definitely give these 5 stars

I have always felt more home when I was away from home. The only think I missed, and not too terribly was my bed, car, and good Mexican food. Traveling forced me to get out of my comfort zone and talk to strangers in unfamiliar places. This was huge for me, since I had always been pretty shy. Now, I always welcome a new adventure and conversation in any place I may end up in.

After reading your blog for a long time, I decided to take the leap and travel the world fulltime. Based on your advice, I even started my own travel blog to document the journey. A big reason I want to travel is personal growth, and that includes all the reasons you listed here. I’m excited to learn and experience the world, and let it change me for the better. Thanks again for your articles.

Superb article, I totally agree with what you say that travelling makes you a better and well-rounded person. When we travel, we learn new things, adapt to a culture that isn’t ours and learn to enjoy each & every moment making you more confident.

Travel does in reality make you more joyful. Thanks for the great post!

I do agree. Travel makes the world more meaningful. It changes your outlook big time! You learn so much about other terrains, other cultures, diversity of foods, clothing, housing and just differences in general. It’s what so marvellous about our Earth. It broadens your knowledge, understanding and tolerance. It keeps you wild at heart. Good post! Thanks!

Hey everyone! Due to the age of this post and the difficulty in moderating lots of posts spam, comments here have been turned off. If you would like to continue the discussion, head over to the forums at http://forums.nomadicmatt.com and chat there! I post frequently and reply to threads on the boards! See ya there! Thanks! – Matt